The field of education is often confusing and complex. The essays in this book examine topics that parents and students face as they maneuver through a seemingly intractable maze of issues. As founder and owner of Northern Virginia Tutoring Service since 1995, and as an adjunct faculty member at Northern Virginia Community College since 1984, Dr. Ralph Perrino has seen first-hand the confusion parents and students experience as they proceed through the K-12 and college years. Dr. Perrino and his wife, Denise Perrino, who co-authored several of the articles in the book, have a combined sixty-five years of experience in the field of education. They have prepared this compilation of essays in the hope that it will help parents manage the issues facing them and their children. This book is also intended to serve as a guide for parents and students as they maneuver through the myriad issues, options, and decisions necessary for successful completion of the education process. The topics covered are diverse: the socialization process and its impact on children and learning; when and how to hire a tutor; using drama techniques to teach math, science, and other core subject areas; when, where and whether a student should go to college; the digital divide between social classes; the impact of technology on higher education; community college as a financial and academic option for many students; college funding. The essays cover many more issues of interest in the education community.
About the Author: Dr. Ralph Perrino has been an educator and business owner in the Northern Virginia area for more than 30 years. He has taught sociology, political science, and business management at Northern Virginia Community College since 1984. In that capacity, he has seen many students in his classes who have either come to the community college because they failed in their first attempt at a four-year institution, or because they chose to defer college until after working or military service. Many of the students Dr. Perrino has taught have also been diagnosed with various learning disabilities that present challenges and impediments to the learning process. It was for this reason that Dr. Perrino established Northern Virginia Tutoring Service in 1995. He saw a need to provide practical advice and service to students and families who face the myriad of challenges associated with the education process.